Tag Archives: Opus Dei

In 1934, The Way, the great spiritual text written by St. Josemaria Escriva was first published under the title, Consideraciones Espritiuales. Five years later, when the second and longer text was published, it was given the title that has made it famous throughout the world, in Spanish, Camino. Since that time, millions upon millions of people have read the classic spiritual literature written by the founder of Opus Dei. The Way has penetrated the hearts of many over the years because it shows the formidable character of the Church and is also a way for the Christian to bring renewal to his life.

It assists the everyday Christian with the everyday ordinary circumstances one encounters in their own life, in the life of the Church, and in the culture in which he lives. Conceived from his deep spiritual experiences, The Way focuses at aiding the Christian to love God and to live by God. The 999 points which compose The Way were written to help the Christian see the light of God and that the ordinary life in which he lives will bring men of all ages to open their lives to holiness by seeking the Kingdom of God.

When reading these points the author suggests you read them slowly and meditate on them for it’s in the simplest words that God often speaks to us.

For today’s “Mondays with Mary”, we are going to read through some of the counsels focusing on Our Lady in The Way. Out of the 999 points, 24 are directed towards Our Lady. Like many of the saints before him and after him, St. Josemaria Escriva had a great love and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Sassoferrato – Virgin Mother

Here is a selection of 10 counsels from his chapter on Our Lady –

“The love of our Mother will be the breath that kindles into a living flame that embers of virtue that are hidden under the ashes of your indifference” (492).

“Love our Lady. And she will obtain abundant grace to help you conquer in your daily struggle. And the enemy will gain nothing by those perversities that seem to boil up continually within you, trying to engulf in their fragrant corruption the high ideals, those sublime commands that Christ himself has placed in your heart. ‘Serviam!’ – ‘I will serve.” (493).

“To Jesus we always go, and to him we always return, through Mary” (495).

“Wear on your breast the holy scapular of Carmel. There are many excellent Marian devotions, but few are as deep-rooted among the faithful and so richly blessed by the popes. Besides, how motherly is the sabbatine privilege!” (500).

“Mary, teacher of prayer. See how she asks her Son at Cana. And how she insists, confidently, perseveringly…And how she succeeds. Learn.” (502).

“Love of our Lady is proof of a good spirit, in works and in individuals. Don’t trust the undertaking that lacks this characteristic.” (505).

“Marvel at the courage of Mary – at the foot of the cross, in the greatest of human sorrow (there is no sorrow like hers) filled with fortitude. And ask her for that same fortitude, so that you, too, will know how to remain close to the cross.” (508).

“Mary, teacher of the sacrifice that is hidden and silent. See her, nearly always in the background, cooperating with her Son: she knows and remains silent.” (509).

“Before, by yourself, you couldn’t. Now, you’ve turned to our Lady, and with her, how easy!” (513).

“Mother! Call her with a loud voice. She is listening to you; she sees you in danger, perhaps, and she – your holy mother Mary – offers you, along with the grace of her son, the refuge of her arms, the tenderness of her embrace…and you will find yourself with added strength for the new battle.” (516).

To purchase The Way written by St. Josemaria Escriva, please go here. I would also encourage you to listen to the podcast taught by my friend, Ryan Ayala, Campus Minister at St. Mary’s Catholic High School. His podcast is titled, Now I Begin: The Lay Spirituality of St. Josemaria Escriva. If you are interested in the life of St. Josemaria, see the link at the very top of this post.

Yesterday I wrote about the film, Light of Love, which began production on Sunday, June 23. Focusing on Vocations to Religious Life and the Holy Priesthood is important to me, so for today’s post I give you a short 3 minute video on the Mission of a Priest by today’s patron – Saint Josemaría Escrivá. For those you who don’t know much about him, I would suggest checking out last year’s post, Saint Josemaría Escrivá – Founder of Opus Dei.

Once you have watched the short video of Saint Josemaría Escrivá, I would then watch the video – Fishers of Men. This short film was produced and released by Grassroots Films back in 2006. It’s an amazing film that shows the important life of a Catholic priest. All Catholics, no matter if you are married or a priest, should watch this film and the upcoming film from the Imagine Sisters Movement.

If you know any young men that are thinking about the priesthood, please show them this short film. We need the New Breed of Holy Priests in the Catholic Church to hear the call from God, to step up to that call, and answer it by giving their lives for Jesus Christ and His Catholic Church.

Founder of Opus Dei, Saint Jose Maria Escriva once said, “If we let Christ reign in our soul, we will not become authoritarian. Rather we will serve everyone. How I like that word: service! To serve my king and, through him, all those who have been redeemed by his blood. I really wish we Christians knew how to serve, for only by serving can we know and love Christ and make him known and loved.”

Saint Josemaría Escrivá was born on September 9, 1902 in Barbastro, Spain. On March 28, 1925, he was ordained to the priesthood in Saragossa. In the year 1928, he founded the organization Opus Dei. He believed that he founded Opus Dei through the providence of God. Opus Dei is a Catholic institution that assists individuals who are seeking to achieve universal holiness, which we are called to at the Sacrament of Baptism, through their daily lives and functions in society. It is the goal and mission of Opus Dei to live in the world and to seek and reach the common good of all people.

At the age of 73, St. Josemaría Escrivá died drastically in his office where he worked. He had a great devotion to the Blessed Mother and glanced at a picture of her has he passed away. Today, June 26 is the feast day for this great saint of the 20th century.

When he died in 1975, the organization that he founded had spread to six continents, had 60,000 members, and 80 nationalities. The Opus Dei members, which includes both clergy and lay faithful, are dedicated to serving the Church with the same obedience and fervor that Saint Josemaría Escrivá gave to the Church in his daily life. In 2010, Opus Dei listed just shy of 90,000 members with nearly 2000 of them priests.

On October 7, 2002, the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, Blessed John Paul II canonized the Founder of Opus Dei in Rome. During the Canonization, Blessed John Paul II said,

“St Josemaría was chosen by the Lord to announce the universal call to holiness and to point out that daily life and ordinary activities are a path to holiness. One could say that he was the saint of ordinary life. In fact, he was convinced that for those who live with a perspective of faith, everything is an opportunity to meet God, everything can be an incentive for prayer. Seen in this light, daily life reveals an unexpected greatness. Holiness is truly within everyone’s reach…[he] was profoundly convinced that the Christian life entails a mission and an apostolate: we are in the world to save it with Christ. He loved the world passionately, with a “redemptive love” (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 604). Precisely for this reason his teachings have helped so many ordinary members of the faithful to discover the redemptive power of faith, its capacity to transform the earth.”